


Losing Your Embrace

by Shiragiku_Ookami



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Bask in Iwaizumi's noble nature, Fluff, I Mean It Might Be Sad, Kingdom!AU, M/M, Royal Ceremony, Swords, but nothing major, but there is a happy ending, might, minor KageHina, people die, sword fights
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-23
Updated: 2016-03-27
Packaged: 2018-05-28 16:30:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6336235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shiragiku_Ookami/pseuds/Shiragiku_Ookami
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oikawa, the prince of Aoba Johsai, is due to have his Coming to Crown ceremony soon, where he will officially be named the kingdom's heir. Iwaizumi, a former street orphan, grew up along side Oikawa, becoming not only a close friend, but also his right hand knight. The ceremony was meant to be a time of joy, but ruling a kingdom was never a peaceful job.</p><p>And Oikawa learns the true meaning of "losing."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Oikawa barely danced out of the way of Iwaizumi’s sword, spinning on his heel to further propel his body away from his sparring partner. His foot dug into the ground, stopping himself from skidding as he raised his sword once more to counter a strong strike from Iwaizumi. Oikawa winced from the monster strength that struck down on his sword. Placing his balance on his hips, he thrust forward, dislodging Iwaizumi’s sword from his as he powered ahead, slashing at a brief opening at Iwaizumi’s side. Iwaizumi flipped his sword to cover his left side, successfully blocking Oikawa’s attack. He lurched forward, slamming into Oikawa’s chest, causing him to lose balance. Oikawa felt his legs kicked from under him, and he fell to the ground with a loud thud.

“Wah, Iwa-chan!” Oikawa whined, slowly pushing himself up to a sitting position before stopping to look at the point of a sword grazing his neck. Pouting, Oikawa playfully batted the sword away, holding out his hand for Iwaizumi to grab.

Iwaizumi swiftly sheathed his sword before reaching out to grab the hand offered to him. He easily pulled Oikawa to his feet, helping the other to regain his balance. “You still need practice, Shittykawa,” Iwaizumi gruffly teased, pulling his hand away and walking back to the armory.

Oikawa let out a small sigh while rubbing his lower back. _That brute,_ Oikawa thought. _He doesn’t even wait for me to walk with him!_ He pushed his body into a slight jog, pacing himself to catch up with Iwaizumi.

* * *

 Iwaizumi entered the barracks, sweat dotting the beginning his hairline. A sigh escaped his lips as he began to slip out of his chainmail. The metal let out a loud clang as Iwaizumi carelessly tossed it onto a nearby table. He ran a hand through his hair, relishing in the fact that when he sparred with Oikawa, there was no need to wear a helmet. The two trusted each other enough to be able to fight without fear of seriously injuring or beheading one another. He had just grabbed a towel when a scurry of footsteps neared the entryway.

“Iwa-cha~n!”

Iwaizumi could feel a vein in his forehead popping out, but he continued to use the towel to wipe himself down, ignoring the exasperated calls of his friend, or rather his _prince_.

Oikawa Tooru was the sole prince of the kingdom, Aoba Johsai. Aoba Johsai was considered to be a powerful kingdom, feared by many of its neighbors. The kingdom was currently preparing for the prince’s Coming to Crown ceremony.

The royal family took in Iwaizumi from the streets when he was three, and assigned him to Oikawa’s training guard by six. He met Oikawa shortly afterwards, and was often the prince’s sparring partner because they were the same age. Although it became obvious that Oikawa was very skilled with the sword, Iwaizumi was undeniably stronger. Oikawa disliked this, but found Iwaizumi to be a close, trusted friend, and even grew boastful when he eventually outgrew Iwaizumi in height.

A pair of arms circled around his waist, and Iwaizumi suddenly found himself pulled back against a strong chest. Another sigh fell from his lips, and he weakly jabbed Oikawa in the ribs with his elbow, causing the brunette to pout. Iwaizumi felt Oikawa lower his head to nuzzle into his neck, and couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the action.

“Oi, Asskawa,” Iwaizumi called out gruffly. “At least take off your chainmail before touching me.”

Oikawa refused to move, instead burrowing his face into Iwaizumi’s neck even more. The little movements his body made resulted in the light clinking noises of his chainmail rippling together. “I don’t wanna,” he muttered finally, peeking up to see if he could catch a glimpse of Iwaizumi’s expression.

Iwaizumi jerked away, surprising Oikawa enough to suddenly let go.

“Iwa-“

Oikawa found himself silent when Iwaizumi reached out to grab the hem of his chainmail, pulling the taller male back towards him. Refusing to look up at Oikawa, Iwaizumi began to pull the chainmail up and over Oikawa’s torso, gently nudging Oikawa’s head through the neck hole to make sure the brunette’s hair didn’t get caught. He took Oikawa’s chainmail and discarded it alongside his own.

“Hurry up and dry yourself off before you get sick, idiot,” Iwaizumi scolded, eyeing Oikawa’s astonished expression before he picked up his towel and began to head out of the room.

Oikawa stood there for another short moment before finally reaching out to grab his own towel. Bringing it to his face, he couldn’t help but smile, glad that Iwaizumi had left before he could see his expression.

* * *

The door closed slowly behind Oikawa as he left one of the business rooms of the castle, and he barely registered the click of the latch catching when he breathed out loudly. Straightening his spine and pulling back his shoulders, the brunette strode down the hall, turning corner after corner on his way to his father’s office. He had just finished meeting with some coordinators for his own Coming to Crown ceremony, and was left both tired and a smidge annoyed. Oikawa wanted to focus on the task at hand, which was deciding where exactly to place refreshments in the dining hall, but the coordinators seemed keen on dropping blatant hints regarding the availability of their daughters.

The Coming to Crown ceremony indicated the prince’s readiness to rise to the responsibility of taking the throne. Although Oikawa’s parents were still quite young, the couple had already put off the ceremony for some time now. Most kingdoms held the ceremony for their first in line during the year that they turn 18. Oikawa was now 21, and the kingdom’s people were growing restless at the fact that their prince didn’t seem ready to take the throne. Knowing of the people’s unrest, Oikawa’s parents relented and decided to prepare for the ceremony. The only issue that filled Oikawa’s heart with trepidation is the fact that he had to find a bride in order to successfully succeed his father.

* * *

Iwaizumi sat on a windowsill, gazing out on the castle courtyard. His back was up against one side of the wall, with one leg propped up and the other providing support from the floor. He rested his head against the cool glass, silently observing the maids who were walking, chatting, and enjoying their short break. A butterfly fluttered by, distracting Iwaizumi’s gaze, and he couldn’t help but follow the white form until it disappeared behind a corner of the castle.

A rush of footsteps caught his attention, and he tore his gaze from the serenity of the outside scenery to see Oikawa round the corner into the hallway he was in. Iwaizumi’s eyes narrowed upon seeing the dark, almost angry look on the prince’s face. He twisted his body to further watch the approaching form, but found that Oikawa didn’t even seem to register Iwaizumi’s presence.

“Oi,” Iwaizumi called out.

Oikawa didn’t show any acknowledgement or sign that he had heard Iwaizumi, and continued his brisk walk, muttering to himself about things needing to be done, and people who needed to _mind their own damn business_.

Before Oikawa could walk past him, Iwaizumi’s hand shot out to grab the brunette’s wrist, effectively stopping him from moving any further. Oikawa suddenly turned to glare at whoever dared to put a hand on him, but his expression stilled upon seeing that it was Iwaizumi. Iwaizumi had to steel himself from flinching at Oikawa’s gaze, finding that at moments like these, the prince’s gaze was terrifyingly intense.

“Stop muttering to yourself, Trashykawa,” the knight started, attempting to lighten up the tense atmosphere. “You’ll look more like an idiot than you already do.” Iwaizumi tugged Oikawa’s wrist a bit, leading him closer to where he was still sitting on the windowsill.

Oikawa reluctantly complied, and allowed himself to be seated on the other side of the windowsill. He felt Iwaizumi let go of his wrist, and his head tilted to the side so he could rest part of his forehead against the glass. Even as Oikawa gazed upon the servants below, he could tell through his periphery that Iwaizumi was watching him.

“You should ignore all the requests for your hand right now if it’s bothering you so much,” Iwaizumi suggested, never taking his eyes off of the prince before him. He watched as Oikawa let out a small breath, the tension in his broad shoulders easing a bit.

Oikawa closed his eyes and basked in the dwindling sunlight of the evening. Though he was due to see his father soon, moments where he could quietly spend time with his childhood friend were both welcoming and calming. Across from him, he could feel Iwaizumi shift, probably adjusting his legs so that they don’t cramp. Oikawa’s eyes slowly opened, adjusting to the dim light, and he was welcomed with the sight of a glowing Iwaizumi, who seemed to be nodding off. He took into note the knight’s sharp jawline, and the taut, sun-kissed skin of his neck.

Oikawa began to lean forward, pulling in his legs so that he could put his weight on his knees. Iwaizumi’s eyes were closed, and his chest rose evenly with each breath. Crawling forward and nearly placing himself in between Iwaizumi’s legs, Oikawa smirked as he reached out his hand to slowly trace the chiseled features before him. Iwaizumi immediately opened his eyes upon feeling the warmth on his cheeks. He glared at Oikawa, silently asking, _What the fuck are you doing?_

Oikawa leaned closer to Iwaizumi in response, so close their noses were almost brushing together. Iwaizumi refused to budge, continuing to question the brunette’s intimate actions.

“Iwa-chan,” Oikawa called out softly, staring into the knight’s green eyes. “I like you, Iwa-chan.”

“Hah?” Iwaizumi grunted, arching an eyebrow in annoyance at the sudden confession.

Oikawa’s intense expression suddenly melted into a pouty one. His head fell to Iwaizumi’s chest, and he mumbled almost incoherently, “I wike fhu, Fiwa-han.”

Iwaizumi tensed for a moment, before he relented and laced one of his hands through the prince’s soft hair. He massaged the back of Oikawa’s head, while pulling him a bit closer. Staring down at the head below him, his expression hinted that of pain. Turning back to the window just in time to see the sun dip below the horizon, Iwaizumi whispered, “I know.”

* * *

Oikawa stared at his reflection in the body mirror that stood before him. Twisting his torso to the left, he watched as the fabric moved along, creating neat creases on his side. He returned back to his normal position when one of the servants came back to fuss over his hair, running a brush lightly through his locks to perfect the curl of his bangs. His fingers rose to pull and straighten his suit’s gold collar. He’d rather liked his outfit, finding that the stark whiteness of the suit contrasted nicely with the gold embellishments of his cuffs and hems. He was silently thankful that his mother had decided against puffy shoulders at the last minute. His shoulders were already broad, and he refused to draw even more attention to them with puffed up material.

The door behind him suddenly opened, and his father walked in, thanking the servants for doing a great job taking care of his son. He walked up behind Oikawa, and stared across his shoulder at the pair of reflections in the mirror. The servants flittered around for a bit, before taking the cue to leave the room.

“If you see any girl to your li-“ his father started.

“Yes, yes, I know,” Oikawa quipped, rolling his head to the side to break eye contact with his father. “Go up to her and show her my interest.”

His father looked surprised for a moment, but brought up his hand to chuckle into it. He threw an arm around his son’s shoulder, causing Oikawa to look back to their reflections. “What I mean to say is,” his father said, faking a stern tone. “Is that you have two years, son. Two years. That is plenty of time to find someone to spend your whole life with. Just have fun today, and if you see someone you like, then great. If you don’t, it’s not the end of the world.”

The right side of Oikawa’s cheek couldn’t help but tug his mouth into a lopsided smile. He let out a dramatic sigh. “I’ll do my best, father.” He winked at his father before shrugging off the arm around his shoulders and darting to the door. Leaning back to look at his father, he teased, “Shouldn’t you be getting ready too? Mother will be looking for you.”

Oikawa’s father paled, and he was left alone in the dressing room as Oikawa ducked out, closing the door to hide his laughter.

The hallways were busier than usual, and Oikawa had to avoid more than one rushing maid carrying handfuls of banquet supplies. He ambled through the hallways, acting as if he had a purpose, but truly he had nowhere to be at the moment. The ceremony wouldn’t start until noon, so he had three hours to spare. He would first meet with his parents at the private part of the ceremony, enclosed in the throne room where only the most honored guests would attend. The royal family would then move to the open courtyard, where they would perform the ceremony for the kingdom’s people. Oikawa ran a hand through his hair, not caring too much that he may be ruining the work that the servant had done. In his opinion, having a tousled look only made him that much more attractive.

Just as he was passing a flight of stairs, he could hear a familiar laughter carrying up from the floor below him. He paused for a moment, furrowing his brows. _Iwa-chan?_ He held onto the banister and slowly crept down the steps, not minding too much about any noise that he was making because the castle was already noisy as is.

* * *

 “Hm? That sounds fun, but I’ll probably be busy after the ceremony,” Iwaizumi replied, offering the girl in front of him a polite, small smile. He discretely looked around, wondering if he could find an excuse to get away.

“Aww, really?” the girl whined. She reached out and tugged the sleeve of Iwaizumi’s top. She bit her lip nervously, looking at the ground before saying, “I would really like to spend time with you tonight, Hajime-san.”

Iwaizumi could feel blood rush to his cheeks at the implication of the girl’s words. Before he could formulate another rejection, or even move his hand away, he felt an arm wrap around his shoulders. He whipped his head to the side to see the smiling face of Oikawa Tooru looking back at him. Iwaizumi just as quickly looked away, already knowing that the prince didn’t seem to be in the happiest of moods, judging by the sight of that fake smile he knew all to well.

“O-Oikawa-sama?” the girl greeted, her cheeks immediately flushing, and she was quick to take a step back from the two.

“Ah, sorry if I was interrupting something, but Iwa- _chan_ and I are needed right now,” Oikawa stated smoothly, grabbing Iwaizumi’s shoulder to turn and push him. He paused and flashed a smile at the girl. “I hope you don’t mind.”

The girl shook her head quickly, messing up the bows in her hair. “O-Of course not!” she exclaimed, bending her waist to bow to the prince. “Please excuse me!” she added, and hurriedly made her way down the hallway and out of sight.

Oikawa let go of Iwaizumi and attempted an exasperated sigh. “Really Iwa-chan, leading the poor girl on? You’re lucky your prince swooped in to save you,” he remarked, placing both of his hands on his hips.

Iwaizumi rubbed the back of his head before nodding. “Yeah, thanks.”

Oikawa’s eyes widened a bit, surprised that Iwaizumi had not retorted with a sarcastic, biting comeback. Averting his gaze, he nonchalantly replied, “Well, I guess it wasn’t much.”

“You look nice,” Iwaizumi suddenly commented, his expression serious.

Oikawa had to stare hard at Iwaizumi to see if he was joking, and upon finding that he wasn’t, quickly covered his face to hide the blush he knew was appearing. “Y-You…” stuttered Oikawa. Suddenly throwing his hands up, Oikawa turned swiftly and began walking away, confusing Iwaizumi.

“What? Where are you going?” questioned Iwaizumi, instinctively following the brunette.

“I don’t want to talk to you anymore,” Oikawa replied childishly, looking over his shoulder to pout at the knight.

Iwaizumi knew better than to trust Oikawa’s words when he seemed to be riled up. He instead merely arched a brow to show his annoyance. “Hah? What is it? Are you mad or something?”

Oikawa shrugged in response, trying not to act like he knew Iwaizumi was following him. _I’m mad at that girl for flirting with you, and I’m mad at how you can compliment me so easily._

Iwaizumi could only resign himself to the method that he knew would both get Oikawa’s attention and probably brighten up his mood. “Oi, I heard the kitchen is making milk bread,” Iwaizumi casually commented.

Oikawa halted and twisted his body to stare back at Iwaizumi with doe-wide eyes. They seemed to sparkle for a moment and suddenly the prince turned to stride back to Iwaizumi. “Well, I guess we better go check to make sure they are making them right,” Oikawa suggested, already heading off in the direction of the kitchen.

Iwaizumi couldn’t help but smile. “Of course, idiot.”

* * *

 Oikawa kneeled in front of his father who stood before him. His left knee touched the ground, and he leaned on his right, making sure to bow his head respectfully. He could hear his father bellowing words along the lines of _honor_ and _power_ , as well as _responsibility_ and _protecting the kingdom’s people._ He remained still, as he felt his father sprinkle water on him and touch both of his shoulders with the royal scepter. A hand landed gently on his shoulder, signaling that he should rise.

As soon as he got to his feet, the guests behind him began to applaud loudly, though it was noticeable that there was a lack of hooting and hollering. He turned and offered a bow to his guests, looking up briefly to smile at them before turning back to join his parents. Off to the side, he noticed Iwaizumi standing with the other royal guards. As his mother attached a white cape to his shoulders, Oikawa discreetly winked at his knight, finding pleasure in the frown that automatically appeared on the other’s face.

Oikawa’s father offered parting words towards their audience, thanking them for attending and inviting them to join the family in the banquet hall later on. With that said, the royal guard surrounded the family and escorted them to the balcony, where they would then greet the kingdom’s people, and perform a shorter ceremony for their entertainment and sound of mind. Oikawa trailed behind his parents, and was happy to see that Iwaizumi took the position of guard next to him.

Sidling up to his friend, Oikawa whispered, “How was it? Was I good?”

Iwaizumi spared Oikawa a glance from his peripheral. “You were fine,” he replied, just as quietly.

Oikawa hid a devious smirk as he side-stepped and _accidently_ bumped into Iwaizumi. Iwaizumi stumbled and subsequently bumped into another guard who merely looked at the shorter male with amusement. Iwaizumi apologized quickly before shooting a glare at Oikawa. The brunette had to cover his mouth to prevent his laughs from being heard. Oikawa’s mother glanced over her shoulder at the two, and though her face was stern, there was a twinkle of playfulness in her eyes.

The entourage neared the double doors that would open to the balcony, and the guards took first position. A pair of servants stood ready at the doors, and the two lead guards stood in front of Oikawa’s parents. Iwaizumi fell to the rear guard. Oikawa mentally took a deep breath, preparing himself to greet his people, and though he’s done this countless times, standing in front of such a crowd always worked up his nerves. His body jolted upon feeling a lightweight on his shoulder. He turned and saw Iwaizumi giving him a thumbs-up and an encouraging smile. Oikawa readily smiled back, and turned forward just in time to see light shine through the opening doors.

As the doors opened, the crowd below began to cheer loudly. Oikawa’s parents were greeted by the faces of their people as well as confetti that were being thrown into the air upon their entrance. The guards filtered toward the outer edges of the balcony, solemnly taking their positions and scouting the rooftops and ground carefully. Oikawa’s father swept forward, opening his arms grandly, causing the crowd to uproar.

“My people!” he yelled, smiling and enjoying the people’s praise.

The crowd instinctively began to hush. It was like a wave that started below the balcony and slowly, but surely affected the people at the far end of the courtyard.

“It is my pleasure,” Oikawa’s father began, his deep voice echoing throughout the crowd. “To announce that my son, Oikawa Tooru, is finally your sole heir to the throne of Aoba Johsai!”

Before Oikawa’s father could even finish, the crowd exploded in cheers. The majority was quite happy that their kingdom finally had a secure heir, and that the kingdom’s future looked bright. Oikawa’s father looked back to his son, and motioned for him to join him at the front of the balcony. Nodding, Oikawa stepped forward, his cape catching the wind and flowing behind him majestically. The crowd unbelievably began to cheer louder, and this time female voices seemed to be at the height of the noise.

Oikawa flashed his signature smile and waved at the crowd, causing the screams to become even more high-pitched. Hiding a wince, he held a finger to his lips while winking, signaling to crowd to quiet down. As if magic existed, the crowd fell deathly silent, waiting to hear their prince’s voice.

Taking a moment to compose himself, Oikawa quickly rehearsed the beginning lines of what he prepared for his people. “Thank you all for coming today to my Coming to Crown ceremony,” he started, holding up his hand at the stirring of the crowd. “It is my great pleasure to be able to serve as your sole heir of the kingdom of Aoba Johsai.” There was a loud single cheer that came from Oikawa’s right side, and he couldn’t help but smile and nod his head in the direction of the voice.

At this point, Oikawa could say that he was truly enjoying himself. “As your heir, I will work hard in ensuring the prosperity of this kingdom!” he announced unabashedly. The crowd broke into another round of cheering, but it wasn’t too loud that Oikawa felt the need to shush them. “And please rest assured, that the name of the Oikawa family will not be tarnished!” Once again, the people hollered their approval. Oikawa placed his hands on the balcony and leaned forward, taking in the love of his people. “We, the people of Aoba Johsai, will continue to be a powerful king-“

Suddenly, Oikawa caught sight of an object shooting towards him at a fast pace. He barely had time to register the fact that it was glowing red and orange before it zoomed past his head. He heard a grunt behind him, and he whipped around to see his father clutching his chest. The crowd began to let out both gasps of horror and confusion, and it was obvious that the onset of panic had begun in the crowd. Oikawa, himself, could barely register that there was an arrow sticking out of his father’s chest. His father, who he considered to be a proud, powerful man, was being brought to his knees.

The guards were suddenly on high alert, rushing to his father’s aid and surrounding the queen. Time seemed to slow and Oikawa could hear and see Iwaizumi banging on the castle doors that for some reason remained shut. Taking a step back, Oikawa hit the balcony, his hands resting on the stone material to balance him. His father suddenly looked forward, and Oikawa was met with the dull gaze of his father as blood spilled from his mouth. Oikawa was terrified, and he could not register the fact that he must move.

“T-Tooru!” his father yelled, lurching forward.

Oikawa’s brown eyes were wide as his father stumbled forward, grabbing Oikawa’s shoulders and switching their places just in time for Oikawa to be spared being arrowed. Oikawa’s mind was dizzy, and he felt deaf to the noise around him. He looked up to see his father weakly smiling at him before suddenly his father was slipping from his arms. _His father was falling._ Oikawa suddenly broke from his trance like state and reached forward, grasping vainly for his father’s hand as the body neared the ground.

“FATHER!” the prince screamed, his eyes wide with horror as he leaned over the balcony, arm still outstretched.

The king fell with a sickening thud, scattering those below the balcony. Screams erupted throughout the kingdom’s people, and all began to flee from the bloody scene. The guards on the ground fought to maintain control and safely evacuate the people, but countless individuals were tripping and getting trampled. The drop was too far for Oikawa to see his father’s face clearly, and he clutched the balcony tightly, staining the white stone with his father’s blood as tears sprang to the corners of his eyes. A feminine scream tore Oikawa away from the sight of his murdered father, and he turned only to see a guard grab his mother and slit her throat cleanly with a dagger.

Oikawa fell back into his state of shock, and his mouth fell open.

His mother. His mother. _His mom._

Tears poured freely from Oikawa’s eyes, blurring his vision, but all he could see was red. He careened forward, screaming in anger at the assailant, but he was a second too late as another guard tackled the man, causing his mother to drop to the floor. Oikawa stumbled and landed in front of his mother, staining the knees of his pants in the blood that was slowly pooling around her. His body trembled uncontrollably and he pulled his mother’s head into his lap, sobbing. He could feel the blood painting his skin, but he could care less. He huddled over his mother’s head, cradling her gently as he cried, the tears refusing to halt in their flow.

“Mother, mother, mother,” he mourned. “No, please…please… _please_ …Don’t leave me.” Oikawa squinted his eyes closed, squeezing out more of his endless tears. He opened his eyes upon feeling a gentle touch to his arm. “Mom! Mom!” he breathed, his voice coming out raspy and winded. He grabbed his mother’s hand and squeezed it. Bringing the hand to his cheek, he pressed into it and let out a strangled cry. The hand in his tensed briefly before completely going slack. Oikawa paused in his sobbing, and stared at the lifeless eyes of his mother, and even though he made little sound, tears still fell from his eyes.

“Oikawa!”

Oikawa couldn’t tear his eyes away from his mother’s.

_She’s dead._

“Oikawa!”

_My mom is dead._

“Oikawa, you fucking idiot!”

Oikawa felt a sudden harsh pain in his cheek, and he was shaken awake. His hand immediately cupped his cheek, and he looked up to see Iwaizumi staring down at him. Iwaizumi looked livid, and in the background, he began to once again hear the screams of the people below. _How much time has passed?_ Oikawa was given very little time to do much else, because Iwaizumi swooped down to pick up Oikawa by his armpits, helping the prince to his feet. The knight shouted orders to the remaining guard to divide into two teams, a scout and a rear defense.

Oikawa was still dazed, swaying on his feet. It was incredibly tempting to look down at his now dead mother, but Iwaizumi swam back into his vision and he was suddenly being pulled back into the castle. The brunette blinked multiple times to adjust to the dimness of the castle, and he struggled to keep up with Iwaizumi who continued to pull him along. Everywhere he looked, he saw guards running about, attempting to secure the area from the unknown intruders.

Suddenly, Iwaizumi ducked into a room, throwing Oikawa in and shutting the door behind him. Oikawa stumbled, but quickly regained his balance. Being away from the scene of the balcony was helpful in clearing his mind.

“Iwaizumi,” Oikawa rasped, clutching his bloodied chest.

Iwaizumi turned to look at Oikawa, his expression completely void. He locked the door and strode over to a dresser. Throwing open the doors, Iwaizumi reached in and began searching for suitable clothes to dress the brunette. He finally pulled out a clean shirt and a pair of pants, clutching them tightly in his hands as he approached Oikawa.

“Iwai-“

“Stop,” commanded Iwaizumi. “Undress. Now.”

Oikawa bit his lip and hurriedly tugged off his bloodied clothes, trying hard to ignore the fact that the blood belonged to two of the people he cherished the most. Iwaizumi disappeared for a moment and returned with a moist rag, attempting to clean up Oikawa’s body, and succeeding in getting most of the blood off. As Oikawa donned the clothing given to him, Iwaizumi calmly explained their next moves.

“Listen, Oikawa,” the knight began. “There is a horse prepared for you in the stables. You take that horse and you go as fast as you can to Karasuno. According to some of the guards, the castle is being heavily surrounded, and we have little time of getting you out of here, so you ne-“

“What about you?” Oikawa interrupted, his voice still shaky, but he was determined in his questioning.

Iwaizumi averted his gaze and quickly walked to the door, unlocking it and peeking out into the hallway. “I will escort you down to the stable where a group of another set of guards will help you get to Karasuno,” Iwaizumi continued, consciously ignoring the implication behind Oikawa’s question.

He turned around only to be met by Oikawa slamming the door shut and pinning Iwaizumi against it. “What about _you_?” Oikawa repeated, his eyes were tired from crying, and a headache was starting at the back of his head. _Are you leaving me too?_

Iwaizumi met Oikawa’s sullen gaze with a defiant one. “I will stay here,” he stated firmly. “And make it safe for your return.”

Oikawa clenched his fist and pounded it against the door. “Don’t be ridiculous!” he yelled, knowing it probably wasn’t a good idea to be giving out their whereabouts, but he knew not of what else to say.

Iwaizumi reached out tentatively and pulled Oikawa in for a hug, feeling the prince’s body stiffen upon contact. His hand wrapped around Oikawa’s head and pressed it down into his chest. “Shut up, Shittykawa. Listen to me, you’ll see me again,” he muttered.

Oikawa fought back another onset of tears, feeling that he was emotionally drained and had little control over his outbursts. He pulled his hands away from the door and returned Iwaizumi’s embrace, letting a sigh wreck through his body. “Iwa-chan, I like you,” he murmured, clenching onto the cloth on the back of Iwaizumi’s top.

Remaining silent, Iwaizumi gently pushed Oikawa away so he could open the door again. He’d rather not tell the prince if he reciprocated his feelings or not. What was important was getting him out of the territory, and they had already wasted enough time as is. Reaching to the side, he picked up a sword, handing it to Oikawa. “I know you can defend yourself. Don’t let me down,” Iwaizumi exclaimed, offering the brunette a small smile. “Let’s go.”

Oikawa closely followed Iwaizumi as he darted down the hallway, checking in with guards that had managed to hold their positions. Along the way, the two had found that the front of the castle was compromised, so they would have to take a discreet back route to exit to the stables where the horses were held.

As they descended down the last flight of stairs, Iwaizumi glanced back at Oikawa. “Your parents, I’m-“

“Fine,” Oikawa interrupted, although truly he was still mourning, heavily. He fought to keep the images of his dead parents out of his head, but they still flashed behind his eyes. “It’s fine. I'm fine.”

Iwaizumi stayed silent as they entered the kitchen area and out the backdoor, finally reentering the outside world. “It’s not fine. When you see me again, you can cry to me,” Iwaizumi replied, keeping his body forward as the stables came into sight.

Oikawa felt a smile tug at his lips, and he refrained from tackling Iwaizumi.

Iwaizumi neared the stables and held out his hand to tell Oikawa to hold back. He approached the door warily, looking inside for signs of the guards that were assigned to escort Oikawa. He peeked into the open door and frowned upon seeing the slain bodies of his comrades. The horses were terrified and neighing incessantly.

“Iwa-chan?” Oikawa called out softly.

Turning swiftly on his heel, Iwaizumi dashed back just in time to see a man preparing to swing a sword at Oikawa. “Roll!” he yelled and rushed forward, pulling out his sword to parry the oncoming blow.

Oikawa rolled away, pulling out his own sword as he did so. He regained his footing and caught sight of yet another man. He grimaced. They had been ambushed.

Iwaizumi threw off the attacker and spun around to gain momentum as he slashed at his opponent’s side, creating a deep gash and causing his foe to fall. He watched as Oikawa lopped off the arm of his opponent and turned to take on yet another that had come to the fight.

“Oikawa! Get a horse and run!” Iwaizumi called out, jabbing a man with the hilt of his sword before bringing the blade down on his head.

Although Oikawa heard, he couldn’t respond as his opponent kneed him in the chest, sending his body sprawling to the ground. “Fuck!” he growled, never letting go of his sword as he raised it to block the blade that swung down on him.

Oikawa pivoted his hips so that he could swing his legs to trip his assailant, relishing in the surprised groan when the man fell to the ground. Oikawa wasted no time scrambling to his feet so he could bring the point of his sword down through the man’s chest. He had little time to admire his handy work because a familiar groan sounded behind him. Oikawa turned to see Iwaizumi clutching his left arm, his sword fallen to the ground. He rushed forward, panic seeping into his nerves.

_No, not Iwa-chan. Not him too!_

“Argh!” Oikawa cried out, shoving the enemy away from his knight before slashing at his neck. He grabbed Iwaizumi and they both began running away from the bloodied scene. “Come on, Iwa-chan!”

Amazingly, Iwaizumi was able to keep pace with Oikawa, and they neared the edge of the forest that stood between Aoba Johsai and Karasuno. Oikawa kept looking back at Iwaizumi, gauging the other’s state, noticing the paleness that invaded the knight’s normally tan features.

“Oikawa,” Iwaizumi bit out, hating the weakness of his own voice. “Oikawa, stop.”

Oikawa turned back and shook his head. “No, Iwa-chan. We can make it. I won’t leave you.” He tightened his grip on Iwaizumi’s arm.

Iwaizumi was no fool. His years of training heightened his sense of awareness and he knew that the enemy was closing in. He also realized that he was dead weight. Eyeing the sword in the prince’s hand, he made a split-second decision and jerked it away from him. Thankfully, Oikawa was surprised enough to let go.

“Iwa-chan!?”

Pointing the sword at Oikawa, Iwaizumi demanded, “Go. Get out of here. Run.”

Furrowing his brows, Oikawa stared hard at his friend.

“I said go, you idiot,” Iwaizumi repeated, his breath coming out in harsh pants. Turning at the sound of rushing footsteps heading their way, Iwaizumi declared, “I’ll protect you.”

Oikawa was livid. He had no sword, and here was Iwaizumi, acting the role of his _knight_. He clenched and unclenched his fists, and could do nothing but watch Iwaizumi run into the midst of the men, taking down two quickly. He could do nothing but watch a sword run through Iwaizumi’s abdomen. He could do nothing but run. Away.

“IWA-CHAN!” he screamed, turning his head away and sprinting into the forest, picking up his feet high so he could avoid tripping on roots.

He ran with his eyes barely opened, and didn’t see a figure in front of him until he bumped into it with enough force to throw him back. He looked up to see the dark figure, but couldn’t make out exactly who it was. Fatigue was closing in on his vision, and his chest heaved with each breath he took.

“Daichi! It’s him! It’s the prince!”

“What? Really? Hurry, let’s get him to the camp!”

Oikawa felt arms around him, and suddenly he was being carried. He attempted to put up a struggle, but his limbs felt like lead. “No…no…Iwa…” he muttered, before losing all consciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

Iwaizumi had accepted death as his fate, especially when he felt the searing pain through his abdomen. However, he did not expect to be saved. His cheek rubbed against the cool ground, loose twigs scratching his face. As he lay on the ground awaiting the final blow, to put him out of both his misery and shame, he could hear grunts and bodies dropping around him.

“Hey, are you still alive?”

Iwaizumi could only groan in response, keeping his hands pressed to his stomach in an attempt to stall the bleeding. His breathing was labored, and try as he might, was unable to look up to see who was talking to him. He had little idea about what had just happened. He only knew that he wasn’t dead. Yet.

“Kick him.”

“Tsukki! You can’t do that! He’s injured!”

“Carry him, then. We’ll take him back to the camp.”

“Me?”

Iwaizumi could hear a loud exasperated sigh before he was unceremoniously picked up.

“Tsukki! We should at least wrap his wounds!”

“Tch. Do it quickly.”

* * *

 

Hinata stood in a pool of blood, his gaze unnerving to the remaining survivors. He popped his neck and made a move to step forward, causing the survivors to scramble to their feet and run away.

“He’s a monster!”

“Fuck it! Let’s get out of here!”

“Retreat!”

“It’s Karasuno’s Devil!”

“Wahahahahaha!” Tanaka chortled, tears pouring from the corners of his eyes as he pointed and ridiculed the running men. He walked over to Hinata and gave him a slap on the back. “You got them good, Hinata!” Retracting his hand, Tanaka moved to sheath his sword.

Hinata’s eyes regained their light, and he blinked a couple of times before acknowledging Tanaka. “Waaah? Really? I did?” Hinata questioned, obviously happy to hear his senior praising him as he sheathed his own twin blades. The short, orange-haired male paused to brush off his pants, paying little mind to the bloodstains that covered him. Hinata’s lust for blood was unrivaled in the kingdom of Karasuno, and the countless that he’s mercilessly slaughtered garnered him the nickname of “Karasuno’s Devil.”

Hinata and Tanaka began walking away from the bloody scene, keeping an eye out for any men that they could label as enemies. Karasuno had heard of the attack on Aoba Johsai from their messenger crows, and the prince of the kingdom rallied together a squadron to go help the royal family. Although they came as soon as they could, the front of the castle looked wrecked, and many civilian bodies lay strewn all over the grounds.

A base camp had been set up before the forest that lied between the two kingdoms. The Karasuno squadron would utilize the camp as its headquarters, as well as a haven for those that they’ve found injured.

The grounds were quiet, save for some clangs of metal that could be heard in the distance, but for the most part, it seemed that the guards of Aoba Johsai and Karasuno were succeeding in fending off the attackers. Hinata spotted a limping guard and ran over to him, immediately supporting his body weight.

“Here, sit down for a moment,” Hinata suggested, helping to lower the man to the ground and up against a pillar.

Tanaka kneeled down so that he was level with the guard. “Where is the royal family?” he asked, voice low and solemn, getting straight to the point.

“Our king and queen…are dead,” the guard stated slowly, trying to keep up a brave face, but both Hinata and Tanaka could tell that he was pained.

Hinata glanced at Tanaka briefly before asking, “Where is the prince?”

The guard looked confused for a moment. “I…I don’t know. I’m sorry,” he answered before beginning to cough.

Tanaka rose to his feet, patting the shoulder of the guard as he did so. “Don’t worry, you’ve done your job. Rest here if you need to,” he said, signaling to Hinata that they should head out.

The two began walking away, and they could hear the guard breaking down behind them. Of course, both could attest to the great pain that came with losing the people you were supposed to protect. The sole purpose of a guard, a soldier, a knight, was to protect the royal family. When they couldn’t even perform that task, most found their morale to be utterly crushed. A fluttering of wings caught their attention, and the pair looked up just in time to see a crow fly towards them. Hinata held out his arm, giving the bird a place to land.

The crow, spotting the perch, carefully alighted onto Hinata’s arm. Reaching out, Hinata pulled out a roll of paper from a necklace that hung around the bird’s neck. He unraveled it, quickly reading over the message before popping out a pen to scrawl back a reply. Tanaka read the message from over Hinata’s shoulder, heaving a sigh of relief after he had finished.

“Ah, so Nekoma is sending some men too, then,” Tanaka muttered, but he was happy to hear about reinforcements arriving. “I don’t know if they’ll be able to do much, though,” he added, winking at Hinata.

Hinata smiled and nodded. He replaced the message and sent the crow off into the darkening skies. It was good that the attackers had retreated, especially since night was falling. Hinata mentally ticked off a to-do list in his head. They had to get guards up throughout the night, take care of the wounded, assist the civilians, and most importantly find and protect the kingdom’s prince.

“Who is the prince again?” Hinata asked, stepping through an archway to find a group of soldiers off in the distance. By their emblems, they seemed to be from Aoba Johsai.

“Hah? You don’t remember, Hinata?” Tanaka replied incredulously. As the two waved to the group of soldiers to get their attention, he answered, “Oikawa Tooru. From what I heard, he’s quite the pretty boy, and his Coming to Crown ceremony was today.”

Hinata stopped waving as the group started to approach them. “Too bad he didn’t know he’d have to become king right after.”

* * *

 

_Oikawa was smiling broadly as he waved to the crowd below him. He could feel himself talking to the people, but even he could not tell what he was saying. All of a sudden, he heard screams and his father appeared before him, arrows sticking out of his chest and blood dribbling from his gaping mouth._

_“Father?” Oikawa cried._

_He reached forward to grab his father’s sides, but suddenly his father was gone, and he was kneeling on the floor next to his mother’s bleeding body. Watching in horror, Oikawa saw spurts of blood spray out of his mother’s pale, thin neck. He was screaming as he attempted to stop the bleeding by covering it with his hands, and when he looked at the gaze of his mother, he broke._

_He could feel tears pouring down his face as his surroundings suddenly blurred and he was standing in the forest. Iwaizumi stared at him from afar, his face full of pain as a blade was thrust through his abdomen. Keeling over, Iwaizumi coughed up blood as his assailant placed a foot on his back, using it as leverage to roughly pull out the sword that impaled the knight. Oikawa began running towards him, sobbing. He just didn’t want to be alone._

_“Please!”_

Oikawa jolted awake, feeling disgustingly sweaty as his eyes rapidly took in the unfamiliar surroundings around him. His hands rubbed his eyes, helping them to get used to the lighting. He leaned on his elbows to get a better vantage point before finally sitting upright. This was certainly not his room. Suddenly, memories of running into someone and losing consciousness flashed into his mind. Was he captured? He looked quickly to his hands to ensure that they weren’t chained in any way. Why was he still alive then? Wouldn’t the attackers just have killed them like his parents? Before he could slip out of the bed, the door opened.

“Ah, glad to see you’re finally awake,” a man with short black hair greeted. He stepped into the room, gently closing the door behind him.

Oikawa stared at the stranger apprehensively, but found that he recognized the man. “Kageyama Tobio?”

It’s been years since he had last seen the fellow prince at Karasuno’s Coming to Crown ceremony. Karasuno’s prince had been deemed a genius early on, and subsequently had an early ceremony. Oikawa remembered this much because the younger male had gained the right to the crown long before he did, and that left him feeling a bit bitter.

Kageyama raised a brow. “It’s good to see that you don’t have a case of amnesia, Oikawa-san,” he replied simply. “Please continue resting. I will fill you in on the status of your kingdom.”

Oikawa leaned back and rested against the bed’s headboard. He clutched the sheets, awaiting what he surely thought was bad news.

“Your kingdom is safe,” Kageyama started out, carefully watching the other prince’s reaction. “Your army was able to hold off the intruders, and Karasuno and Nekoma joined in to finish off the rest. Currently, your castle and your people are awaiting your return.”

Oikawa let out a breath of relief, the tension in his shoulders easing. He looked up and locked gazes with Kageyama. “How did I get here? Also, you know about my pa...parents I’m sure,” he asked, still struggling with accepting their deaths.

Kageyama nodded. “I'm sorry for your loss.”

Biting his cheek, Oikawa turned his gaze away.

“You were found in the forest bordering both our kingdoms by a couple of my knights,” Kageyama continued. “They initially brought you to a camp they had set up, but I had them bring you here for safety precautions.” He waited for Oikawa to make a comment, but the brunette merely clenched his fists tighter. “We don’t know from what kingdom the attackers came from. I assumed it was Shiratorizawa, but apparently they were attacked as well,” Kageyama informed. “I’ll come back with you to Aoba Johsai when you’re ready.”

Oikawa finally looked up at Kageyama, refusing to hide the wateriness in his eyes. He was half-tempted to ask if the prince knew anything about Iwaizumi, but ended up pushing away that thought. “I need to go now,” Oikawa concluded. “I need to return to my people.”

Nodding Kageyama moved towards the door. “I’ll send someone with clothes for you. Then you’ll be escorted downstairs,” he finished.

Oikawa could only mutter a quiet acknowledgement before Kageyama left the room. He felt a sigh wreck through his body as he buried his face into his hands. His father was gone. His mother was gone. Iwaizumi was gone. The people he loved most were taken from him, and now he was left with the overbearing responsibility of running a kingdom. However, as he sat there waiting for the servant to enter, he found he had little tears to cry.

* * *

 

Yachi lifted the flap to a tent, allowing light to filter in and highlighting pieces of dust that floated within the dimness. She pressed the cup of water she was holding tight to her chest as she entered, trying to be as quiet as possible. Eyeing the sleeping form before her, she tip-toed over. Just as she was about to reach out to touch the figure, a hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, causing her to let out a high-pitched yelp, and for the cup to fall to the floor.

“Who are you?”

Yachi attempted to pull back from the man, noticing now that her feet were soaked wet. “Y-Yachi Hitoka from Ka-Karusu-suno,” she stuttered, feeling her cheeks warm over the fact that she had stumbled over such simple words.

Iwaizumi’s eyes widened, and he loosened his grip on the girl. _Karasuno?_ “Ah, sorry,” he quickly apologized, attempting to get up, but a stab of pain from his abdomen stopped him.

“Ahh! No, don’t move yet! Your injuries aren’t stable!” Yachi chided as best as she could, pushing Iwaizumi back down onto the makeshift bed by his shoulders. She retracted her hands, blushing hard for Iwaizumi was shirtless, and his muscles were still defined through his bandages. “I-I’ll go get you another cup of water!” she blurted, bending down to pick up the cup that had fallen.

“It’s not ne-“

“Hitoka-chan?”

Iwaizumi looked away from the small blonde girl to see another girl with long black hair and glasses standing at the entrance of the tent. His breath stopped short, because she was truly _beautiful._ He was about to prop himself onto his elbows, but he noticed his left arm protested in pain. _Shit. Just how banged up am I?_

“Ki-Kiyoko-san!” exclaimed Yachi. The blonde hurried to the other girl’s side. “I was just about to get some more water for the soldier,” she explained, her eyes bright when speaking to the taller female.

Kiyoko nodded her head. “That’s good, thank you.”

Yachi took that as her cue to leave, and scurried out of the tent.

“Can you explain to me what’s going on?” Iwaizumi inquired, staring at the female in front of him. He found his voice hoarse, definitely glad that he didn’t end up stopping the blonde girl from getting him water.

She stared back at him, not seeming intimidated in the least. “Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, Karasuno knights, found you surrounded by men in the forest. They took them down and saved you by bringing you to our camp,” Kiyoko informed, her voice amazingly calming.

Iwaizumi nodded his head, making a mental note to track down these people and formally thank them. He suddenly froze, gripping the sheet across his waist. “Where is the prince? Is he alright?” Iwaizumi questioned, his eyes straining themselves. _God, that stupid idiot better be okay. Please, be okay._

Kiyoko blinked a couple of times before cocking her head to the side a bit. “He’s fine. Oikawa-sama was brought here shortly before being transferred to Karasuno’s castle for safety reasons,” she answered, folding her arms. “Our prince will be arriving with yours at Aoba Johsai very soon.”

Pausing to look away, Iwaizumi gave his nerves time to calm down in relief at those words. _Thank God._ However a guilty feeling still ate away at his heart. “Fuck, I failed,” he muttered almost silently to himself.

Kiyoko blinked at him, thinking that she should probably leave the poor knight alone. She twirled on her heel gracefully, already opening the flap of the tent before Iwaizumi called out to her.

“Please,” Iwaizumi pleaded, already feeling shame cross his features. “Take me back to Aoba Johsai.”

* * *

 

Oikawa stepped out of the carriage, looking up at his castle, basking in its familiarity. He glanced around, noting that most of the bloodstains seemed to be lifted from the ground, and in all honesty, the castle wasn’t _that_ badly damaged. It would need a few repairs here and there, but it was almost as if the days’ past events had never happened. If only.

“Nekoma is guarding the east, and Karasuno has the south,” Kageyama piped up, looking at Oikawa to make sure that he wasn’t going to faint or have a panic attack from being back.

Oikawa could only nod, and he took long strides towards the castle doors. There were lots that he had to do. He needed to meet with the council, save that they hadn’t died, and make it known to the people that their prince was still alive. Kageyama followed the slightly taller prince, noting in how the castle’s remaining servants were popping out in excitement and relief at the sight of their prince.

“Oikawa-sama!”

“Our prince is alive!”

Smiling tightly, Oikawa greeted the servants that came up to him. “Please inform the council members about a meeting that will occur in an hour in the business chamber,” he demanded sternly, wanting to get the kingdom’s affairs straightened out as soon as possible.

The servants nodded and scurried off, feeling the urgency radiating off of the brunette. Oikawa spotted a familiar face and was quick to pull the servant off to the side.

He glanced quickly at Kageyama before turning back to the servant. “My parents’ bodies,” he started, fighting to keep his emotions under control. “Are they…?”

The servant nodded his head. “Yes, yes! They are recovered and being kept and prepared in the castle’s basement.”

Oikawa let go of the servant, internally sighing. “Thank you, please go back to attending your business.”

“Of course, Oikawa-sama,” the servant replied before hurrying off.

“Kageyama,” Oikawa called out.

Kageyama met the brunette’s gaze, folding his arms, but still letting the other prince know he had his attention.

“Please come with me,” Oikawa murmured, already turning to enter the castle. “I may need your help.”

Kageyama cocked his head, but followed the other prince nonetheless.

* * *

 

“Hmm, make sure you add somewhere in there to thank Nekoma,” Kageyama added, peering over Oikawa’s shoulder at the paper he was writing on.

Oikawa nodded and quickly scribbled it onto the paper. He looked over the agenda once more, making sure that he had all bases covered to go over at the meeting. Twirling the pencil in his hand, he couldn’t help but feel deeply grateful for his parents. They set up an almost flawless system that held the kingdom’s documents ranging from agricultural to foreign affairs, making it easy to see what he should be doing in each aspect of his rule.

The pencil twirled out of his hand and clattered onto the desk. Oikawa stared at it absentmindedly before looking at Kageyama from his peripheral. A little, almost obsolete fact bothered him.

“What?” Kageyama asked, folding his arms once again as he looked at his fellow prince. He was currently perched on the arm of a chair across from Oikawa’s desk.

“You,” Oikawa began, his eyes narrowing slightly at how observant the other prince was. _So annoying_. “You’re not married.” As far as he was concerned, Oikawa never heard, nor was he invited, to a wedding for Karasuno’s prince.

Kageyama made a face that warranted a small chuckle from Oikawa. “T-That,” Kageyama stuttered. “That’s none of your business.” He hid his face with his hand to hide a blush.

“Huh? But I thought you had to get married to keep the throne,” Oikawa peppered, finding enjoyment in the reactions he was getting out of the seemingly stoic prince. “Two years have been up for you for quite a while now.”

Kageyama muttered something, causing Oikawa to lean forward.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” Oikawa asked, smiling a little in amusement, though the action felt foreign to his muscles.

“My parents already know about the person that I love,” Kageyama answered sourly, speaking a little louder. “However, we don’t think the news would settle well with the people right now, so we’re keeping it a secret.”

Oikawa arched a brow. _Keeping it a secret?_

“I’m in love with a man,” Kageyama mumbled, looking away, not wanting to see the other prince’s expression.

Blinking rapidly, Oikawa could not believe what he had just heard. “Wait, you’re gay?”

Kageyama turned to glare at Oikawa. “I’d rather you not say that so loudly.”

Oikawa held up his hands, saying, “No, no, here in Aoba Johsai, stuff like that really doesn’t matter. My parents were extremely cool with that stuff.” Oikawa watched Kageyama relax a bit before adding, “I wasn’t implying anything bad.”

The door opening abruptly ended the conversation. A servant popped his head in, looked at both princes, and became immediately embarrassed at his rudeness.

“I-I’m so-“

“It’s fine,” Oikawa interjected, waving his hand. “What did you need?”

The servant looked at the black-haired prince before announcing, “Kageyama-sama, your guards are requesting to see you.” As Kageyama pushed off from the chair he was leaning on, the servant continued, “Hinata Shoyou has specifically requested your presence.”

If Oikawa wasn’t observing the other so closely, he would have missed the miniscule emotion of affection that passed across the other prince’s face at the sound of the name, “Hinata.” He watched as Kageyama crossed the room to the door.

“If you need anything, Karasuno is your ally, feel free to ask,” Kageyama stated before slipping through the door.

Oikawa nodded his thanks before excusing the servant. He looked at the clock on the wall, gauging that he had at least 10 minutes before the meeting started. Sighing, he decided that there were perks in being early and picked up his papers, tapping them on the desk to straighten them out. He rose from his chair, preparing for at least two long hours of arguing between old men.

* * *

 

“Ah, our next topic on the agenda is devising a plan to deal with the missing persons list,” a man from Oikawa’s right announced. He was the royal family’s trusted secretary, and was known for tediously getting work done quickly.

“There has already been a list made for missing civilians,” one man piped up.

“Yes, but we are still missing various castle servants and guards. We will have to account for them,” another man added.

Oikawa could feel his heart clench. Being busy, he could forget about it for the time being, but now the reality of never seeing Iwaizumi again was weighing on his shoulders. He grounded his teeth and stared hard at the papers in front of him. This was not the time to be mulling over his losses.

“Oikawa-sama?”

Oikawa’s head shot up. He cleared his throat, ignoring the raised eyebrows of his peers before responding in as strong a voice he could muster, “Yes?”

“Many of the men in your royal guard are either dead or missing. If we can’t find the ones that are missing, it would be in your best interests to replace them,” one of the men suggested.

“Of course,” the brunette bit out, knowing full well that he probably wouldn’t deal with replacements until he could properly bury his men, most important of all, Iwaizumi.

The rest of the meeting flew over Oikawa’s head, though he had sat through enough of these types of events to be able to effectively participate without fully and consciously being there. The sounds of chairs scraping across the floor signaled to Oikawa that he was finally free to leave. He stood up from his chair, raising his arms above his head.

“Oikawa-sama?”

Oikawa paused in his stretching to look at his parents’ – well his now – secretary.

“I’ll put into action what we have decided today, please rest assured.”

Nodding, Oikawa gave the man a small, forced smile before taking his leave.

The secretary noted significant changes with the prince. Often known for being both a flirt, but generally a cheerful person, the secretary noted the paleness in Oikawa’s face and the deep sadness in his brown eyes. Gripping the papers tightly, but carefully as to not bend them, he left the business room.

Oikawa spent the next following hours locked away in his father’s office, busying himself with cleaning up the records from the past few days, but in all honesty, there wasn’t much to do. His parents had been alive a few days ago, and their kingdom was efficient enough to survive those few days in their absences. He just needed to busy himself, keep his mind out of the dark recesses that tempted him into misery and depression.

_Knock! Knock!_

Oikawa looked up at the door, and then to the clock. It was late, nearly midnight. What could his servants want?

“Come in,” he called out, returning his gaze back to his papers.

“Oikawa-sama, it’s late, you should return to your room for the rest of the night.”

Looking up, Oikawa saw the head-maid looking back sternly at him. He hid the guilty expression that crossed his face. “Yes, sorry, I’ll be out soon,” he replied. The scolding reminded him of Iwaizumi, and he couldn’t help the knot forming in his heart. The pain was still sickeningly fresh.

The head-maid clucked her tongue before retreating from the room, leaving Oikawa alone again. He rested his head on his arms, closing his eyes. For many reasons, he didn’t feel ready to take on tomorrow. It seemed too big, and he felt too alone. Tears began to gather at the corner of his eyes once again, but he was too tired to care. He let out a shaky breath, burrowing his face in his arms, but being conscious enough to push his papers out from under him so that they wouldn’t become dirty.

He failed to hear the door open and close, too lost in his sorrow.

“Idiot, I thought I told you that you could come cry to me.”

Oikawa stilled, not believing in the voice that sounded all-too familiar to him. “This is all in my imagination,” he whispered to himself, refusing to look up, afraid of what he might _not_ see.

“Hah? Are you ignoring me now, Asskawa?”

Throwing his head up, he spotted Iwaizumi leaning up against the door through water-blurred eyes. He felt himself hiccup at the unbelievable sight. The two stared at each other silently, allowing Oikawa to come to terms that _his_ knight was standing in front of him. Abruptly standing up, Oikawa shoved back his chair, ignoring the loud grating noise that it caused. He leapt over the desk to Iwaizumi’s amusement, scattering his papers and knocking down some pens, wasting no time in crossing the remaining distance to tackle the other male.

“Ow, you idiot! I’m still injured!” Iwaizumi hissed, though a smile was apparent on his face.

“Iwa-chan, Iwa-chan, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa cried, over and over again, hugging the other male tightly. He couldn’t say much else, too elated at the fact that Iwaizumi had not left him. He wasn’t alone.

Iwaizumi gently held the sides of Oikawa’s head, pulling him back so he could assess the brunette properly. Oikawa’s nose was red, as well as his cheeks, and tears were streaming down his face. Using his thumbs to wipe away some of the tears, Iwaizumi noticed what looked like the beginnings of bags under the prince’s beautiful brown eyes, and the whites of his eyes were blood-shot.

“You look like shit,” Iwaizumi quietly commented, bringing their foreheads to rest against each other.

“Me..Mean…Iwa-chan…” Oikawa managed to choke out, reaching up his hands to hold onto Iwaizumi’s. “You owe…me…for life,” he sniffled, his eyes closed, too caught up in his emotions to keep them opened. He desired an explanation of why Iwaizumi was here, standing before him, even though he knew that should be the last of his worries.

Iwaizumi chuckled, but quickly winced. His stomach was still noticeably sore. However, he agreed with Oikawa. To protect Oikawa, to protect Oikawa’s parents, that was his life’s goal, yet he failed. He knew the only thing now was to sign away his life to the brunette, but this was something that Iwaizumi was both willing and eager to do. Pressing his back firmly against the door, he began to slowly slide down, taking a sobbing Oikawa with him. Once on the floor, he pulled Oikawa between his legs, making sure that the brunette was secure in his embrace.

“Yes, I’m sorry,” Iwaizumi finally murmured, running his hand through Oikawa’s bangs. “I’ll explain to you what happened.”

Oikawa grabbed Iwaizumi’s hand and brought it to his chest. “I was…so scared,” Oikawa admitted, squeezing the hand in his. “After losing my father and mo-mother, lo-“

“Shhh,” Iwaizumi interrupted, pressing a finger to Oikawa’s lips. He grimaced, only imagining the amount of pain that Oikawa has been through the past few days. Alone. “Calm down first, we can talk later.”

Oikawa nodded, inhaling shakily. He rested his head in the crook of Iwaizumi’s neck, breathing in the other male’s comforting, familiar scent. Letting go of Iwaizumi’s hand, he pressed his hands against the knight’s chest so he could prop himself up.

“Iwa-chan?”

“Hm?”

“I love you.”

There was a moment of silence as Oikawa held his breath, waiting for a reply from Iwaizumi. He half expected to have his confession brushed off again, but he still found himself hoping for a definite reciprocation.

Suddenly, Oikawa felt a hand on his chin, tilting his head upward. A pair of lips descended upon his, and for a moment, the prince felt bliss. Oikawa felt Iwaizumi’s hand move to cup his cheek, causing Oikawa to tangle his hands in Iwaizumi’s hair.

Slowly pulling away, Iwaizumi half-whispered, “I love you too, idiot.”

Oikawa buried his face into Iwaizumi’s chest. “Of course you do. I always knew,” he joked weakly, feeling his cheeks warm and his eyes water again when Iwaizumi laced his hand with his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, and I really hoped that you enjoyed this two part story! 
> 
> I have to admit that I'm not all that satisfied with it...but it was sitting and I really couldn't do much else with it without extending it beyond just two parts...Originally this was supposed to be a one-shot. I also am not too happy with Oikawa's character, but I was trying to approach it from the mentality of trauma from losing loved ones in a violent way. 
> 
> Regardless, there's the happy-ish ending I promised! Also, Happy Easter!
> 
> To Friend:
> 
> I hoped it met your expectations!
> 
> From:
> 
> Shiragiku

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! This is my first Haikyuu!! fic! I wrote this for my amazing friend (this is her OTP), and even though this wasn't my OTP(P), I still had loads of fun writing this. Though I apologize...I'm not very good at transitions. 
> 
> Just a heads up, this will have a happy ending. Happy-ish. So, uh, please don't cry! T-T This is also only a two-part story...I'm supposed to be working on my other story...but this...this I could not resist...
> 
> Regardless, I hope you enjoyed the first part! Thank you for reading!


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